Press & Reviews

The multitude of moles at East Los Angeles' Moles la Tía might just complete a culinary color wheel: Circle through the menu and you'll find the cheery yellow of the passion fruit mole, the herbaceous green of the finas hierbas mole, the pristine ivory of the velo de novia mole. These sauces don't seem so much cooked as they do composed, every ingredient mindful of its place in the restaurant's oeuvre.

Housing these often extraordinary moles is a dining room with familiar design ideas (a clean and classic terra cotta-colored space), but also a telling aesthetic: On the walls hang landscape paintings and portraits cut with cubist corners, each crafted in a sort of fractured geometry that pairs with chef Rocio Camacho's modern moles.

“The newest chapter in local Oaxacan cooking is being written at Moles La Tía, a kind of cenaduria in the Eastside district of Maravilla just past the 710, an intimately lit room with bright paint on the wall, and moody oils of grafitti-spattered Los Angeles River crossings. On weekend mornings, the long, wooden tables are filled with Eastside families stopping by after church for eggs scrambled with diced cactus, chilaquiles, or bowls of brightly spiced menudo, some of the best in town, flavored with a bit of mint…”

“…unique moles offered by Chef/Owner Rocio Camacho at her restaurant like Pistachio, Coffee, Tamarind, Passionfruit, etc., my palate went into overdrive. I've certainly had my share of moles in the past but never like the ones I read about on TG's blog entry. I knew I had to go as soon as possible. Tonight wasn't as soon as I would have liked, but it was good enough.”

“The presentation was beautiful, everyone loved this place, and Rocio has the warmth and passion to match her incredible gift.On another note, oh, she just makes the best corn tortillas in town, from scratch.I haven't seen a bright yellow corn tortilla ever in LA…”